Suriname

republicIndependence 25 November 1975 (from Netherlands

Suriname as the 1990 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 69 fields, one of 36 editions from 1990 to 2025.

field in that editiontext changed from the edition beforenot in that editionthe open editionEach field below ends in its editions, 1990 to 2025. Point at a year above to follow it down.

CapitalParamaribo

Area163,270 km2

Populationas each edition published it

396,813 people July 1990 · 653,605 in 2025

Population growth% a year

Not in this edition 1.54% in 1993

Median ageyears

Not in this edition 25.5 yrs in 2003

Life expectancyyears at birth

Not in this edition 69.14 yrs in 1993

Fertility ratechildren per woman

2.9 children per woman 1990 · 1.87 in 2025

Infant mortalitydeaths per 1,000 live births

40 deaths per 1,000 live births 1990 · 29.3 in 2025

GDP per capitaeach edition's own dollars

Not in this edition $3,300 in 1993

GDP real growth% a year

Not in this edition -2.5% in 1993

Geography

12 fields

Total area

163,270km2

land area: 161,470 km2Comparative area: slightly larger than Georgia

Coastline

386km

Territorial sea: 12 nm

Land boundaries

1,707km total

Brazil 597 km, French Guiana 510 km, Guyana 600 km

Disputes

claims area in French Guiana between Litani Rivier and Riviere Marouini (both headwaters of the Lawa);
claims area in Guyana between New (Upper Courantyne) and Courantyne/Kutari Rivers (all headwaters of the Courantyne)

Terrain

mostly rolling hills; narrow coastal plain with swamps

Natural resources

timber, hydropower potential, fish, shrimp, bauxite, iron ore, and modest amounts of nickel, copper, platinum, gold

Land use

NEGL% arable land;
NEGL% permanent crops;
NEGL% meadows and pastures;
97% forest and woodland;
3% other;
includes NEGL% irrigated

People

14 fields

Population

396,813

(July 1990), growth rate 1.4% (1990)

Per 1,000 population(1990)

Birth

27Death

Ethnic divisions

Hindustani (East Indian) 37.0%Creole (black and mixed) 31.0%Javanese 15.3%Bush black 10.3%Amerindian 2.6%Chinese 1.7%Europeans 1.0%other 1.1%

Religion

Hindu 27.4%Muslim 19.6%Roman Catholic 22.8%Protestant (predominantly Moravian) 25.2%indigenous beliefs about 5%

Labor force

104,000

(1984)

Literacy

65%

Nationality

noun--Surinamer(s); adjective--Surinamese

Language

Dutch (official);
English widely spoken;
Sranan Tongo (Surinamese, sometimes called Taki-Taki) is native language of Creoles and much of the younger population and is lingua franca among others;
also Hindi Suriname Hindustani (a variant of Bhoqpuri), and Javanese

Government

Republic

16 fields

National Assembly, 51 seats, elected 25 November 1987one dot, one seat

The Front 40NDP 3PALU 4Pendawa Llwa 4

Percent of vote

The Front 80%others 20%

Administrative divisions

10 districts (distrikten, singular--distrikt); Brokopondo, Commewijne, Coronie, Marowijne, Nickerie, Para, Paramaribo, Saramacca, Sipaliwini, Wanica

Independence

25 November 1975 (from Netherlands; formerly Netherlands Guiana or Dutch Guiana)

Executive branch

president, vice president and prime minister, Cabinet of Ministers, Council of State; note--commander in chief of the National Army maintains significant power

Judicial branch

Supreme Court Chief of State and Head of Government--President Ramsewak SHANKAR (since 25 January 1988);
Vice President and Prime Minister Henck Alfonsus Eugene ARRON (since 25 January 1988)

25 February Movement established by Lt. Col. Desire Bouterse in November 1983, but much of its activity taken over by New Democratic Party (NDP) in May 1987; leftists (all small groups)--Revolutionary People's Party (RVP), Michael Naarendorp; Progressive Workers and Farmers (PALU), Iwan Krolis;

traditional parties--Progressive Reform Party (VHP), Jaggernath Lachmon; National Party of Suriname (NPS), Henck Arron; Indonesian Peasants Party (KTPI), Willy Soemita; the VHP, NPS, and KTPI formed a coalition known as The Front in July 1987 that overwhelmingly defeated the NDP in the November 1987 elections

Suffrage

universal at age 18 National Assembly--last held 25 November 1987 (next to be held November 1992);
results--The Front 80%, others 20%;
seats--(51 total) The Front 40, NDP 3, PALU 4, Pendawa Llwa 4

Member of

ACP, ECLA, FAO, GATT, G-77, IBA, IBRD, ICAO, IDB--Inter-American Development Bank, IFAD, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTERPOL, ITU, NAM, OAS, PAHO, SELA, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO

Diplomatic representation

Ambassador Willem A. UDENHOUT;
Chancery at Suite 108, 4301 Connecticut Avenue NW, Washington DC 20008;
telephone (202) 244-7488 or 7490 through 7492;
there is a Surinamese Consulate General in Miami;
US--Ambassador Richard HOWLAND;
Embassy at Dr. Sophie Redmonstraat 129, Paramaribo (mailing address is P. O. Box 1821, Paramaribo);
telephone [597] 72900 or 76459

Flag

five horizontal bands of green (top, double width), white, red (quadruple width), white, and green (double width);
there is a large yellow five-pointed star centered in the red band

Economy

The economy is dominated by the bauxite industry, which accounts for about 80% of export earnings and 40% of tax revenues.

16 fields

GDP, purchasing power parity

$1.27billion

per capita $3,215; real growth rate 3.6% (1988 est.)

Inflation, consumer prices

50%

(1988 est.)

Unemployment rate

27%

(1988)

External debt

$65million

(1989 est.)

Budget

Revenues

$466 millionExpenditures

$716 million

expenditures, including capital expenditures of $123 million (1989 est.)

Overview

The economy is dominated by the bauxite industry, which accounts for about 80% of export earnings and 40% of tax revenues. The economy has been in trouble since the Dutch ended development aid in 1982. A drop in world bauxite prices that started in the late 1970s and continued until late 1986, was followed by the outbreak of a guerrilla insurgency in the interior.

The guerrillas targeted the economic infrastructure, crippling the important bauxite sector and shutting down other export industries. These problems have created both high inflation and high unemployment. A small gain in economic growth of 3.6% was registered in 1988 due to reduced guerrilla activity and improved international markets for bauxite.

Exports

$425 million (f.o.b., 1988 est.);
commodities--alumina, bauxite, aluminum, rice, wood and wood products, shrimp and fish, bananas;
partners--Netherlands 28%, US 22%, Norway 18%, Japan 11%, Brazil 10%, UK 4%

Imports

$365 million (f.o.b., 1988 est.);
commodities--capital equipment, petroleum, foodstuffs, cotton, consumer goods;
partners--US 34%, Netherlands 20%, Trinidad and Tobago 8%, Brazil 5%, UK 3%

Industrial production

growth rate - 3.1% (1986)

Electricity

458,000 kW capacity; 2,018 million kWh produced, 5,030 kWh per capita (1989)

Industries

bauxite mining, alumina and aluminum production, lumbering, food processing, fishing

Agriculture

accounts for 11% of both GDP and labor force;
paddy rice planted on 85% of arable land and represents 60% of total farm output;
other products--bananas, palm kernels, coconuts, plantains, peanuts, beef, chicken;
shrimp and forestry products of increasing importance;
self-sufficient in most foods

Aid

US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-83), $2.5 million; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-87), $1.4 billion

Currency

Surinamese guilder, gulden, or florin (plural--guilders, gulden, or florins); 1 Surinamese guilder, gulden, or florin (Sf.) = 100 cents

Exchange rates

Surinamese guilders, gulden, or florins (Sf.) per US$1--1.7850 (fixed rate)

Fiscal year

calendar year

Communications

8 fields

Merchant marine, 3 ships by typeone square, one ship

cargo 2container 13 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 6,472 GRT/8,914 DWT

Airports, 47 total, 43 usable

permanent-surface runways

6runways over 3,659 m

nonerunways 2,440-3,659 m

1runways 1,220-2,439 m

Networkskm

Highways

8,300Railroads

166Inland waterways

1,200

Highways: ; 500 km paved; 5,400 km bauxite gravel, crushed stone, or improved earth; 2,400 km sand or clay · Railroads: ; 86 km 1.000-meter gauge, government owned, and 80 km 1.435-meter standard gauge; all single track · Inland waterways: ; most important means of transport; oceangoing vessels with drafts ranging from 4.2 m to 7 m can navigate many of the principal waterways

Railroads

166 km total;
86 km 1.000-meter gauge, government owned, and 80 km 1.435-meter standard gauge;
all single track

Highways

8,300 km total;
500 km paved;
5,400 km bauxite gravel, crushed stone, or improved earth;
2,400 km sand or clay

Inland waterways

1,200 km;
most important means of transport;
oceangoing vessels with drafts ranging from 4.2 m to 7 m can navigate many of the principal waterways

Ports

Paramaribo, Moengo

Civil air

2 major transport aircraft

Telecommunications

international facilities good;
domestic radio relay system;
27,500 telephones;
stations--5 AM, 14 FM, 6 TV, 1 shortwave;
2 Atlantic Ocean INTELSAT earth stations

Defense Forces

National Army (including Support Battalion, Infantry Battalion, Mechanized Cavalry Unit, Military Police Brigade, Navy which is company-size, small Air Force element)

3 fields

Military manpower

males 15-49

105,328fit for military service

62,896

Defense expenditures

7.2%of GDP

or $91 million (1990 est.)

Branches